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Update, Jul 11, 2006: Inauguration was today with a traditional bandara (meal of celebration) sponsored by Swami Nardanand. Many came and enjoyed. Update, Jun 17, 2006: Enrollment in the school is now 60 girls, including 15 girls in residence. Two teachers have been hired. One caretaker for the children has been hired. Application for registration of Asim School has been made with the Government Education Department. School will begin July 1. Donations to Asim School (Thank you to those who have donated. Your kindness and generosity is sincerely appreciated.) Founding of Asim School Asim means unlimited or unbounded. During April 2006 I was visiting my friend Swami Nardanand at his ashram in Ujjain, India (See Siddha Ashram link). It's a small ashram, with about twenty rooms, and a handful of most loving people living there. It's is a modest, though comfortable place on the banks of the Shipra River, in the heart of Ujjain. If you're not familiar with Ujjain, it's considered to be one of the more sacred cities in India, and is home to one of the four kumbha melas, which are large spiritual festivals every twelve years in each of those locations; many millions of people come.
When I asked Swami Nardanand about her, he said that she and her mother had been there in the ashram for about a year. A year before, someone affiliated with the ashram told him about this little girl and her mother, and that they were living on the street, as they had for a very long time, and asked if he could help. The father and husband had died, and there was no extended family. They were from a laborer culture with very little income, and that small income became zero with the death of the man in the family. Swamiji Nardanand said that when he first knew the little girl she was much like a wild animal. That wasn't said as an insult, but a realistic description of her state after having spent so much time living the way she had. Swami Nardanand took
mother and daughter
into the ashram, providing them with shelter, food and clothes. Mother does some
chores around the ashram to help out. The little girl doesn't do much;
she doesn't go to school and has no friends her own age to play with.
Asim had a little chalk
board someone had given her. It was about a foot wide, and she had one
piece of chalk that was about an inch and a half long. She mostly
scribbled, but one day I noticed she was also was trying to write some
English letters. That drew my attention. Someone had showed her some of
the letters. I don't know much Hindi, but English, I know pretty well,
at least compared to a four-year-old who speaks Hindi, but no English. I
sat down beside her and wrote the letter "A" and said out loud the sound
for "A." She repeated it, but poorly. I said it again; she tried again.
After a few times she got it. We went on to "B." Before long, after
several "classes," if I may take the liberty to call them that, she was
doing pretty good with her "ABC's." It turns out that she is amazingly
quick to learn, and what is most delightful is the fact that she is very
interested, very curious. She so much wanted to learn, and to practice
the ABC's.
"Swamiji, what about school for this little girl, for Asim." I asked Swami Nardanand. "She's very bright, and likes to learn. Why isn't she in school? If there's not a school for her and others like her, we should start a school?" Now, that's music to the ears of Swami Nardanand. He loves children and loves serving, and has a very gentle way of being with people. "Okay," he said, with a particular inflection and facial expression that I can't describe very well in writing. It's the same "Okay" that comes with a little grin whenever I propose some new cultural experience for him when he has visited me in America. So, it was decided! We would start a school on the grounds of the ashram; a school for girls, for the poorest of the poor, who have no other options in life. I had been through New York City a few weeks previously, and some of the people attending talks had donated some money. We used much of that money to make the first donation towards Asim school. On the way back through New York, I had the joy of telling people how their donations were being used for this little girl, Asim, and others through Asim School. Please don't misunderstand this; Ujjain is not some backward place. It is a wonderful city, with an ancient history. It does, however, like many places in India and the rest of the world, have a few problems here and there. There are many schools in Ujjain and the rest of the state of Madhya Pradesh. But still, there are some children who have no options in front of them, as they don't have the economic resources or family to participate in formal education. During this visit to
Ujjain, we were with many fine people, both in celebration of various
occasions, and to give talks on meditation and spiritual life. We were
extremely well greeted by people. Some of the people participating in
these gatherings have gone on to voice support for Asim School.
Swami Nardanand and I explained to the press how the school would start with children Asim's age, and take them through twelfth grade. Each year a new class of students would start, so the school would expand systematically. In the ashram there are also several very old women without families or money, and for whom Swami Nardanand provides shelter and food. They will be part of a "grandmothers" program, where they, in their elder years, will help with the children, who also have so little. The "grandchildren" will get grandmothers, and the "grandmothers" will get grandchildren. We even found that there will be a few "grandfathers" as well. During the press
conference one university professor said he would personally come by and help teach
the children. A benevolent woman said that she would provide clothing
for the next year for Asim and all of the other children. The day after
the press conference I was on a train to Rishikesh, in another part of
India. The timing wasn't planned that way; it's just how it worked out.
A few days later Swami Nardanand said that people were out looking
around in Ujjain and the many villages in the area, looking for the
poorest of little girls. They are finding a few. The same little girls
who might have previously been ignored were now being joyfully sought out.
More information will be posted here from time to time.
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There
was a little girl--four years old--and her mother staying there at the
ashram. The little girl seemed rather quiet, maybe somewhat distant. But
she had a very watchful eye. Later, I found that she was very playful
and talkative, even though timid. She also has a big curiosity, and she is extremely bright.
